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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322858
Title: Overview of the cocoa pod borer, conopomorpha cramerella (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae), a major pest for the cocoa industry.

Author
item NIOGRET, JEROME - Mars, Inc
item LAMBERT, S - Mars, Inc
item PURUNG, H - Mars, Inc
item INGRAM, K - Mars, Inc
item Epsky, Nancy
item Kendra, Paul
item Alborn, Hans

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Conopomorpha cramerella is one of the most devastating pests of cocoa in Southeast Asia. This pest is currently responsible of a 40-60% loss of the cocoa production, which is worth about $500 million annually for the Indonesian cocoa industry alone. Because the cocoa industry in Indonesia is mainly composed of smallholders, this pest infestation has important socio-economic consequences for the entire region. Indonesia is currently the third largest cocoa producer worldwide and a major supplier of cocoa for the Asian market. Controlling CPB is particularly difficult because of the pest life cycle. Typical pesticide applications do not reach larvae that are developing within the cocoa pods. Pheromone trapping can significantly reduce the CPB population but only temporarily, because only males are captured. New methods based on volatiles chemicals (kairomones) that attract females can be used to control CPB populations in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way.